Posts Tagged ‘HTML 5’

Types Of HTML 5 Content

Saturday, May 7th, 2011

Since 1998, the widely accepted generation of HTML in use has been HTML 4. Lately, HTML 5 has been in development and will likely see a public release within the next couple of years. Every now and then I stop by the W3C website and see how it’s going, checking on the latest developments and the direction of the Web’s most prolific programming language.

One of the more interesting developments is in the categories of content that HTML 5 editors are offering. Here they are in a nutshell:

  • Metadata
  • Flow Content
  • Sectioning Content
  • Heading Content
  • Phrasing Content
  • Embedded Content
  • Interactive Content

All of these types of content are in current use, of course, but HTML 5 provides definitions for them and specific protocols for deploying them within the HTML code. Some of these, with HTML 4, require the use of other programming languages such as CSS and JavaScript.

While HTML 5 will still require the use of other programming languages, it is intended to enhance the use and deployability of these content types within those languages. In that regard, it’s a huge step up from HTML 4.

I see the most potential for HTML 5 being in the embedded and interactive content categories. With Web 2.0 fully entrenched and almost every website these days taking on social features, these content categories will likely become more widely used as HTML 5 makes it easier for web developers to incorporate them into their site designs.

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How HTML 5 Will Make Video More Accessible To You

Friday, April 16th, 2010

If you have been reluctant to use video on your small business website because of particular technical limitations related to embedding, sizing, SEO and video hosting then you’ll likely be excited to know that HTML 5 will change all of that. In its current incarnation, Web video is limited for most website uses. YouTube, and other video sharing sites, have paved the way for video popularity on the Web, but until now it has been rather impractical for most website owners to use video on their websites.

Most Web browsers require a plugin before a site visitor can view a video. Site visitors either need to download Shockwave, Flash or another browser plugin just to view a video and due to concerns for Web security many of them are reluctant to do so. That means there is a huge segment of your website traffic that you are not able to reach. HTML 5 will change that.

With HTML 5, webmasters will be able to upload a video to their server and display it on their website in the same manner as they can currently do with a photo. All it will take is a simple HTML tag that will tell browsers where your video is located and the styling elements involved. Anyone will be able to view the video in their Web browser.

The HTML 5 Poster Attribute

One unique aspect of the video tag in HTML 5 is the poster attribute. This attribute allows you to use an image placeholder that shows where a video will be displayed while it loads. The possibilities here are endless. You can show your branding logo, a Google AdSense ad, an in-house ad for an event you want to promote or sell the space to an advertiser. Whatever the case, your site visitors won’t be looking at an ugly black and white box or a spinning kaleidoscope as the video loads. You’ll have their undivided attention; you might as well put it to good use.

If you’re as anxious to see HTML 5 as I am then hold onto your breeches. There’s no release as of yet but it’s in been in development for a couple of years now so you can look for it real soon.

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